US5262194A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Methods and apparatus for controlling film deposition
Assignee: Dielectric Coating Industries
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Filing: 1993-03-24
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Granted: 1993-11-16
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Expires: 2013-03-24
Abstract
Abstract Apparatus and method for increasing the time that a quartz crystal can sense the rate at which evaporated material is broadcast onto a substrate wherein a chopper employing a disk with a slot is disposed between the source of the evaporated material and the crystal to reduce the exposure of the crystal to evaporated material to a fraction of the time that the substrate is exposed wherein the chopper frequency is not in tune with the dither frequency of the material evaporator. Barrier means prevents the chopper slot from significantly changing dimensions due to the build up of material on its defining edges, while shield means prevents the a crystal from being exposed to evaporated material from a source that it does not control.
Inventors
- 👤 Carmen B. Bischer, Jr.
- 👤 Edward A. Small, Jr.
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 00:48
CPC Classifications
C; C23; C23C; C23C14/00; C23C14/22; C23C14/54; C23C14/542; C23C14/545; C23C14/546
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 40
Claim 1
Independent Claim
64 words
In a control system utilizing a crystal for monitoring the rate of deposition of vaporized material from a material source, the improvements comprising: chopper means disposed between the source of vaporized material and the crystal, wherein said chopper means alternatively blocks vaporized material from reaching the crystal and permits vaporized material to reach the crystal at a frequency of at least once per second.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
64 words
In a control system utilizing a crystal for monitoring the rate of deposition of vaporized material from a material source, the improvements comprising: chopper means disposed between the source of vaporized material and the crystal, wherein said chopper means alternatively blocks vaporized material from reaching the crystal and permits vaporized material to reach the crystal at a frequency of at least once per second.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
17 words
The invention of claim 1 wherein: said chopper includes a rotatable disk with a slot formed therein.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
29 words
The invention of claim 2 wherein: said slot in said disk exposes the crystal to the vaporized material 20% or less of the time when said disk is rotating.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
29 words
The invention of claim 3 wherein: said slot in said disk exposes the crystal to the vaporized material 10% or less of the time when said disk is rotating.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
28 words
The invention of claim 4 wherein: said slot in said disk exposes the crystal to the vaporized material approximately 5% of the time when said disk is rotating.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
20 words
The invention of claim 1 wherein: the chopper means alternates at a rate of 300 revolutions per minute or more.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
19 words
The invention of claim 2 wherein: said disk rotates at a rate of 300 revolutions per minute or more.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
27 words
The invention of claim 1 further comprising: shield means disposed to block all vaporized material directed toward the crystal from a particular direction from reaching the crystal.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
27 words
The invention of claim 2 further comprising: shield means disposed to block all vaporized material directed toward the crystal from a particular direction from reaching the crystal.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
19 words
The invention of claim 9 wherein: said shield means is a skirt depending from the rim of said disk.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
31 words
The invention of claim 1 further comprising: barrier means disposed between the vaporized material and said chopper means wherein a portion of said chopper means is always protected from vaporized material.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
29 words
The invention of claim 2 further comprising: barrier means disposed between the vaporized material and said disk wherein a portion of said disk is always protected from vaporized material.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
27 words
The invention of claim 12 wherein: the portion of said disk protected by said barrier means is the portion of the disk not adjacent to the crystal.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
29 words
The invention of claim 9 further comprising: barrier means disposed between the vaporized material and said disk wherein a portion of said disk is always protected from vaporized material.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
27 words
The invention of claim 11 wherein: the portion of said disk protected by said barrier means is the portion of the disk not adjacent to the crystal.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
38 words
The invention of claim 2 wherein: said slot is the only crystal exposing slot in said disk and said slot exposes the crystal to the vaporized material approximately 10% of the time or less when said disk rotates.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
18 words
The invention of claim 16 further comprising: counterbalance means on said disk to rotationally compensate for said slot.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
36 words
The invention of claim 1 wherein the material is deposited onto a moving web, and wherein: the crystal is disposed at approximately the same distance from the source of material as a location on the web.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
36 words
The invention of claim 2 wherein the material is deposited onto a moving web, and wherein: the crystal is disposed at approximately the same distance from the source of material as a location on the web.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
34 words
The invention of claim 1 wherein the material source includes a moving vaporizer means that operates at a dither frequency and wherein the dither frequency and the chopper blocking frequency are not in phase.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
34 words
The invention of claim 2 wherein the material source includes a moving vaporizer means that operates at a dither frequency and wherein the dither frequency and the rotatable disk frequency are not in phase.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
41 words
The invention of claim 1 wherein said chopper means includes: a first rotatable chopper disk with a slot formed therein; a second rotatable chopper disk with a slot formed therein, and means operable to rotate said chopper disks at different speeds.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
16 words
The invention of claim 22 further comprising: means operable to rotate said disks at different speeds.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
25 words
The invention of claim 22 wherein: the speed of one of said disks is at least ten times the speed of the other said disk.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
17 words
The invention of claim 22 wherein: said disks are disposed to have their respective slots align periodically.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
16 words
The invention of claim 24 wherein the alignment period is less than 3% of the time.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
35 words
The invention of claim 24 wherein the faster of said disks rotates at least twice in the time that it takes for the slower of said disks to rotate the distance of its own slot.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
30 words
The invention of claim 26 further comprising: barrier means having an opening formed therein disposed between the material source and said chopper means restricting vaporized material coating said chopper means.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
113 words
In a control system utilizing a first crystal for monitoring the rate of deposition of vaporized material from a first material source onto a moving web, and a second crystal for monitoring the rate of deposition of vaporized material from a second material source onto the moving web, the improvements comprising: first chopper means disposed between the first source of vaporized material and the first crystal; second chopper means disposed between the second source of vaporized material and the second crystal; wherein said first and second chopper means alternatively block vaporized material from reaching the crystals and permit vaporized material to reach the crystals, at a rate of at least once per second.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
113 words
In a control system utilizing a first crystal for monitoring the rate of deposition of vaporized material from a first material source onto a moving web, and a second crystal for monitoring the rate of deposition of vaporized material from a second material source onto the moving web, the improvements comprising: first chopper means disposed between the first source of vaporized material and the first crystal; second chopper means disposed between the second source of vaporized material and the second crystal; wherein said first and second chopper means alternatively block vaporized material from reaching the crystals and permit vaporized material to reach the crystals, at a rate of at least once per second.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
35 words
The invention of claim 29 further comprising: shield means disposed to block from the first crystal all vaporized material from the second source and from the second crystal all vaporized material from the first source.
Claim 33
Independent Claim
66 words
A method for extending the operative time of an oscillating quartz crystal in a material deposition chamber where vaporized material is broadcast toward a substrate and the crystal the steps including: reducing the amount of material that is received by the crystal over time by alternatively blocking the crystal from and exposing the crystal to deposition material at a frequency of at least once per second.
Claim 34
Independent Claim
66 words
A method for extending the operative time of an oscillating quartz crystal in a material deposition chamber where vaporized material is broadcast toward a substrate and the crystal the steps including: reducing the amount of material that is received by the crystal over time by alternatively blocking the crystal from and exposing the crystal to deposition material at a frequency of at least once per second.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
60 words
The method of claim 31 wherein the deposition material is broadcast toward the crystal at a varying rate having a frequency, the additional step of: selecting a frequency of alternatively blocking the crystal from and exposing the crystal to deposition material that is not in phase with the frequency of the rate at which material is broadcast toward the crystal.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 31 wherein the frequency of alternatively blocking the crystal from and exposing the crystal to deposition material is 100 rpm or less.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 31 wherein the frequency of alternatively blocking the crystal from and exposing the crystal to deposition material is 600 rpm or less.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 31 wherein the frequency of alternatively blocking the crystal from and exposing the crystal to deposition material is 300 rpm or more.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method of claim 31 wherein the reduction of the amount of material that is received by the crystal is accomplished by a first reduction to a percent of the amount directed at the crystal and then by a reduction to a percent of the reduced amount.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 36 where the amount of material received by the crystal is less than 3%.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1996-11-15 | 1997-05-17 | 1997-11-16 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2000-11-15 | 2001-05-17 | 2001-11-16 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2004-11-15 | 2005-05-17 | 2005-11-16 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |